Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

जलौकाभिः सपक्षाभिर्दंदशूकैर्जलोद्भवैः । दुर्निवारैश्च मशकैर्दश्यंते ते दिवानिशम्

Transliteration

jalaukābhiḥ sapakṣābhirdaṃdaśūkairjalodbhavaiḥ | durnivāraiśca maśakairdaśyaṃte te divāniśam

Translation

Jour et nuit, ils sont mordus par des sangsues, par des serpents ailés nés de l’eau, et par des moustiques irrésistibles et implacables.

Word by Word

• जलौकाभिः: by leeches
• जलौकाभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जलौका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• सपक्षाभिः: with wings
• सपक्षाभिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + पक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (जलौकाभिः); तत्पुरुषः (पक्षैः सह)

• दंदशूकैः: by biting reptiles/serpents
• दंदशूकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्दशूक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• जलोद्भवैः: born in water
• जलोद्भवैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जल + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (दन्दशूकैः); तत्पुरुषः (जले उद्भवः)

• दुर्निवारैः: hard to ward off
• दुर्निवारैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्निवार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (मशकैः)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• मशकैः: by mosquitoes
• मशकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मशक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• दश्यन्ते: are bitten
• दश्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• ते: they
• ते: Karman (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• दिवानिशम्: day and night
• दिवानिशम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिवा + निशा (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: अव्ययीभावः; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sinners submerged or trapped at the edge of dark waters, swarmed by leeches; winged water-serpents strike; clouds of mosquitoes form a living veil; the torment is continuous, day and night.

Characters & Entities

• jalaukā (leeches)
• maśaka (mosquitoes)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Suffering imagery serves as moral instruction: misconduct leads to relentless pain, urging righteous living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī contextually, as the discourse explains the fate of those who violate dharma connected to the kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.